


Red Screens & Shaky Hands.

by Bemmiecake



Category: Sonic Forces - Fandom, Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Other, Platonic Relationships, Sonic Forces
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:02:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26417659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bemmiecake/pseuds/Bemmiecake
Summary: Amy reaches her breaking point when a simple recon mission goes wrong, really, really wrong.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17





	Red Screens & Shaky Hands.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all I have never written a sth fic but I love em! Thought I should make it clear at the beginning that this is not a ship fic, more of a quick study on how close Amy and Knuckles got during Forces.   
> While writing this, I was picturing them as my fan designs, if you get confused by the out of the blue size difference. Designs are here! -> https://bemmiecake.tumblr.com/post/190827614542/bemmiecake-spends-800-years-on-my-own-sth

Amy left her (rather _pathetic_ ) sandwich sitting cold on her plate when she saw the techs rushing in the direction of the resistances’ main headquarters. The refuge’s large cafeteria was rather sparse this morning, most of the refugees either still asleep (It _was_ 5 in the morning after all…) Or getting a head start to their assigned duties.

The pink resistance member had been stretched thin, _countless_ sleepless nights and _far_ too many casualties for someone with a small frame like her to be healthy. Amy was pretty sure her quills were starting to fall out.

She’d managed to squeeze in a break now, and was excited to enjoy her _me_ _time_ while it lasted, since she was certain for the next few days her time would be all _but_ hers.

But now it was over, her break clearly cut short by building chaos. She was already pulling into a quick trot towards HQ. She hadn’t been informed of what was happening on her com (Which she never took off at this point) yet, but she had a feeling that would change any second now.

The building their little resistance was located was _gigantic_ , Amy theorized it was some sort of old laboratory, or perhaps a hospital. Either way it was like a maze to navigate, but at this point Amy knew these halls so well she could probably make it to her destination sleep-walking.

Right on time Amy heard the familiar buzzing in her ear, signaling she was about to get some bad news. The hedgehog picked up her pace when the voice inside her ear finally started speaking, stress that had originally subsided with her break quickly returning tenfold.

The voice was frantic, and Amy could hear Knuckles, the resistance leader, and as of recently, one of her best friends, yelling in the background. “ _Miss Amy, I… I’m sorry to interrupt but-”_ The voice, one that Amy recognized to be a cat named Mary, stopped abruptly to mumble something to someone.

Amy did her best to be patient, taking the few seconds of silence to ready herself for the inevitable pandemonium that she would find inside the HQ.

At this point she was _running_ trying to get there, and it was at times like this where she missed Sonic all the more. He could carry her and they’d be there in less than a second. She forced down the feeling of misery that his memory brought up in her.

Eventually Mary was done with her other conversation, and returned to com. Amy tugged at the edges of her dress. “ _Um, I’m sorry Miss Amy I was- Well I guess it doesn’t matter I was just-_ ”

Amy was quickly losing her patience, her chest already forming into a deep knot, and her spikes sticking out more with each second. “What’s going on Mary?” Amy kept her tone steady and even.

She heard Mary take a sharp breath. “ _Right, the situation is that we are currently struggling to keep recon teams AB and AC away from combat.”_ Her voice was shaky and Amy knew she was failing to keep up the military jargon.

Amy was nearly there now. Swarms of people ran up and down the halls with little care about who they bumped into. The sick feeling in her stomach was not comforted when she saw the utter panic that graced their expressions.

“Okay, I’ll be there in just a moment.” Amy was all too aware that there were eyes on her as she rushed through the crowd. Most people kept their distance _anyway_ since she was a hedgehog, and no one wants to get pricked, but they also made room for her because they knew her status.

Knuckles loud commands were no longer confined to her earpiece and were now booming even outside the door of the HQ. Amy skipped all pleasantries, using her palms to shove the doors open. The room was bustling with activity and Amy tried not to scrunch up her nose, the feeling of anxiety and fear was thick in the air.

Amy was disappointed to see that none of her friends were present, besides Knuckles the raging Echidna. They were often busy with personal missions, or their own jobs. Still, Amy wished for their company.

Knuckles was making his rounds around all of the techs, shouting out orders without taking a breath. For someone who was basically the _definition_ of anti-social, Knuckles had done an _excellent_ job stepping up to the plate of leader. _However_ , Amy had no doubts that as soon as all of this was over, (If it ever _did_ end.) He would have _no_ problem running back to his island.

Amy saw how much it _killed_ him to be away from it this long. Everyone who knew him before this mess had seen how the distance bothered him. Amy didn’t know the details, no one besides Knuckles _really_ did, but she _did_ know he was connected the emerald, and to be away from it too long drove him _nuts_.

The first few months it was barely noticeable, with the fear in the air, no one batted an eye to his gem-related stress. Of course now… _Five_ months in, it was _obvious_. He hardly ever sat still anymore, and constantly fidgeted.

In times of stress, his hand was pressed firmly against the white crescent on his chest, or tugging at a lock of his sharp quills. The Echidna was _perpetually_ working and _far_ more irritable than his normal firecracker personality, although to his credit he _channeled_ his anger into his work, and he didn’t _usually_ lash out.

That didn’t seem to be the case today, the echidna looked redder than usual and his quills were threatening to poke anyone who got _marginally_ close to him. Amy parked herself in front of the large monitor in the room, waiting for Knuckles to finish spitting out orders.

Her stomach turned over and knocked the wind out of her as she saw the _unbelievable_ amount of red on the screen. Her skin crawled, she _hated_ this.

Half of squad AC had gone offline and AB was slowly getting there too. The urge to rush out there and help them herself was strong, but she’d learned over the months that experienced staff able _lead_ and _teach_ other resistance members were _few_ and _far_ between. She was needed here.

Soon enough Knuckles was done with his tirade and placed himself next to her. Amy squinted, anger _radiating_ off of him, Amy was always baffled at how someone so stoic could _feel_ so deeply.

They just stood there for a second, both of them just preparing for the exchange they were about to make. If Amy hadn’t been trying extra hard to keep her body from shaking, she’d be embarrassed by her voice crack. “How did they get made?”

Knuckles let out a noise _very_ akin to a growl, crossing his arms and glaring at that damned screen and it’s damned redness. The dark bags under his eyes told her that he hadn’t had a _single_ break in the past few days. Typical of him.

“An egg drone detected them, _someone_ panicked, now we’re in this mess.” Amy could tell he was struggling to keep his speech steady, Amy sympathized, she wanted to scream as well.

She tucked a stray spike back under her headband, although she theorized that her quills would be a mess very soon, no matter what she did. “Do we have contact?” A random tech that she couldn’t remember the name of handed her a pink clipboard that was getting very worn out very quick.

Amy looked over the board’s contents, various blueprints and maps of the egg base that the teams were _supposed_ to simply be scoping out. Blueprints of a _failed_ plan, a failed plan that was now getting people hurt, maybe worse. _Probably_ worse.

“The _stupid_ _thing_ keeps cutting out!” Knuckles yanked his com out of his ear, eyes blazing with hatred towards the small little device. She gave him a careful look that she knew he didn’t see, he’d destroyed at least _34_ of the communication devices since he’d taken up the position as leader. His dislike of technology _definitely_ hadn’t helped him.

He stared a moment longer before shoving the thing back into his ear. His gaze stayed glued to the floor. _“I shouldn’t have sent them out there yet..”_ He mumbled more to himself than to her, still, she placed an aggressive hand on his forearm.

“Don’t do that to yourself, not right now.” Amy honestly wasn’t sure she even believed what she was saying. Her heart was speeding up, and her want to blame herself for _everything_ going on was quickly swimming to the forefront of her mind.

Even though Amy had always tried to steer Knuckles away from his _bad habit_ of drowning in guilt, the trait was quickly becoming very appealing.

The echidna said nothing, only shifting his weight from foot to foot. The crackle of a com link opening up sent his head shooting back up towards the monitor, his hand firmly pressed on his com. The sound of laser shots and explosions filled the room as the connection was made.

Heavy breathing and a _desperate_ voice quickly overwhelmed Amy’s senses, she had to steady herself for a second.

_“We- Sir! W-”_ The connection was weak and kept cutting out, but it was enough for Amy to have to swallow a lump forming in her throat. _“Sir! They’re getting closer I don’t-”_ Knuckles took a step towards the screen.

“Keep your head soldier, how many injured!?” Knuckles’ kept his voice stern and commanding, not letting his true feelings show through the call.

_“I… I don’t know sir! Too many I think-”_ Amy clutched her clipboard to her chest, wracking her brain for a good strategy. She didn’t stop the fearful expression that took over her face, the _red_ was taking over the screen. They were dropping like flies.

She placed her hand to her ear, not _truly_ knowing what she was going to say. “Resistance member Amy reporting in!” Amy let out a gasping breath. “Gather up your able bodied team members, carry your injured and make a retreat using the reverse route you used to-”

_“_ _We can’t! They have us cornered we- Oh no!”_ The connection turned to static for a moment and Amy held her breath, her clipboard all but forgotten on the floor as she took a few hopeless steps toward the screen. She couldn’t even hear Knuckles _screaming_ into the com and banging onto the console of the _horrible_ red screen.

Amy could only stare. AC was _gone_ , and AB was four people away from being the same.

Three.

Two.

One.

“ _Oh god- Please! Sir! Help! H-_ ” The com disconnected.

_Zero_.

The pink hedgehog stood stock still, frozen in place, eyes on the now completely crimson screen. Crimson with the blood they’d just failed to save. Knuckles was _beside_ himself, destroying the console and whatever was close. None of the techs tried to stop him, having done this a few times at this point, and knowing he wouldn’t hurt anyone.

Amy’s instinct to try and be strong in front of the techs was completely abandoned, letting tears flow freely from her face and allowing the lump inside her throat to rise until it emerged as a loud blubber.

She covered her face, hunching over her shoulders and sobbing loudly. Her heart _ached_ for the pain to stop, her blood boiled and _stung_ under her quills, unable to accept what they’d just lost.

A tech was rubbing her arm, _probably_ in an attempt to comfort her, but all the touch did was burn her arm and send fire searing through her veins. She tore her arm away, taking this opportunity to make her retreat out of the room that was now dyed red.

Normally she’d put up a stiff upper lip and stay to wrap things up, get all the paperwork done, and help all the techs narrow down if any of the family were with the refugees.

Right now she didn’t really _care_. Knuckles, although currently _seething_ , would do it for her.

She hid her eyes in her hands, not wanting passersby to see how bloodshot her eyes had become. Not that it made much of a difference, she was sobbing and hiccuping louder than what she’d normally like.

Through the ringing haze in her ears, she heard a few people address her as she ran through the halls. _Luckily_ Amy was on autopilot and was certain that nothing could stop her, even if Big was acting as a wall.

Her dorm wasn’t too far from HQ, as per her _own_ request. So it didn’t take her long to get to get into her room and slam the door behind her. The lights were off and it was dark, Tails had fitted the doors and windows with high level locks before he went _MIA_ , so Amy was very thankful that no one would be seeing the _blubbering_ _mess_ she was about to make on her cot.

When Amy slammed her head against the pillow, she finally let herself scream. Scream in complete _misery_ , _wail_ about all of this. This absolute _mess_. She let herself weep until it was nothing but shivers and _desperate_ gasps.

Because she _didn’t_ _know_ how much longer she would cry over this, how much longer could she _do_ _this_ before she was _completely_ numb to this? How long until those cries for help meant _nothing_ to her? How long until the guilt in her chest was _gone_ and replaced with a _void?_

She laid there for what felt like _hours_ , in reality it was probably more like 30 minutes, and at this point she probably had a _massive_ amount of work to do, but she didn’t have enough strength to pull herself out of bed.

Her stomach grumbled, and she regretted not scarfing down her sandwich when she had the chance. Not that she could keep it down, she felt too sick with grief to eat, or maybe it was sick with _hunger_.

With glassy eyes, Amy turned her head to gaze idly at the small desk placed by the door. She’d spent _many_ sleepless nights coming up with strategies and mission formations. What a load of good _that_ did.

Next to her lamp was an object that in _recent_ months, had given her _nightmares_. A framed picture of her, Tails, Knuckles, and _Sonic_ , eyes shining with joy that now blared _holes_ in her chest.

If she wasn’t already completely dehydrated, the sight of her _allegedly_ KIA crush would’ve made her cry all the more. All she managed was a dry sob, burying herself deeper into her pillow.

Sleep wasn’t really an option, her dreams would be filled with screams and would give her no rest.

A knock on her door forced her to confront reality again, she made no move to get up, simply staring with the single eye that wasn’t hidden by the quills that had fallen in her face. The knock persisted a few minutes before it _finally_ ceased.

Amy hoped that perhaps whomever was behind the door had given up trying to disturb her, but her hopes were _dashed_ when she heard the sound of her lock being overridden.

She let out a low groan, only a _countable_ number of people had override keys, so when Knuckles entered her room quietly, she wasn’t surprised.

He said nothing, just came over quietly, placing a glass of water on her (makeshift) nightstand. He went to take a seat at her desk. She observed him, the anger that was previously overtaking his face was now gone, replaced with somber concern that _very few_ got to see from him.

He looked _tired_ , more tired than he had earlier. His quills were disheveled, His frame was loose, his eyes watched her but she could tell his mind was somewhere else. She knew he was _just_ as miserable as she was, holding the entire resistance up on his shoulders was a heavy burden.

Five minutes went by, eventually she _dragged_ herself from her corpse-like position on her bed to sit up and take a sip of water. Her chest rushed with refreshing cold, rejuvenating much of the energy she had lost. Amy did her best not to let the relief the liquid gave her show on her face, But considering how Knuckle’s had found her, acting tough seemed rather pointless.

Before long she downed the entire glass, suddenly _very_ thankful for her tall red friend. He was now glaring at something on the floor, something in his mind’s eye taking up _all_ of his focus. Amy set the now empty cup onto her _sad_ excuse of a nightstand, hanging her legs off of the cot.

This seemed to bring his attention back to her, rage originally aimed at the ground _completely_ burning out when he returned his eyes to hers.

What replaced it was something Amy almost _never_ saw openly in her Echidna friend. He looked _desperate_ , and _fearful_. Seeing this seemed to _break_ something in the pink hedgehog and she suddenly felt the urge to cry again.

Amy could tell this showed on her face because Knuckle’s expression twisted into one of _empathy_. It was such a _gentle_ look on Knuckle’s normally _hard_ features, Amy placed her hands on her chest, not stopping herself from weeping once more.

She was thankful, her tears were _far more_ mild than her _painful_ sobs from earlier, no longer filled with so much wrath and _hysteria_. Amy kept her gaze on Knuckles, tears flowing freely.

Knuckles tugged on a stray _white_ quill growing from his shoulder, grinding his teeth before speaking. “I sent a small rescue team…” He held back a small shudder, if Amy didn’t know him so well, she wouldn’t have noticed. “… _Or salvage team._ ” His voice was hoarse and strained from yelling, Amy _hated_ it.

That last bit was _just_ above a whisper, but Amy’s sensitive ears heard it. She didn’t have the energy to be angry about the comment, so she settled on a _scoff_. She choked a little on the mucus in her throat, so it came out more as a cough.

Amy brushed a shaky hand across her cheek, her glove now soggy with salty tears. She allowed a stray hiccup to pass her lips before she spoke. _“I don’t know if I can do this for much longer_ _Knuckles_ _…”_ She sounded more _despairing_ than she’d meant to, but it wasn’t exactly inaccurate.

The echidna stared for a moment, examining his weeping friend. “You don’t mean that.” It was blunt, but Amy knew he meant well. After all, he was _right_.

A particularly _harsh_ sob escaped her lips, sending rough shudders wracking her shoulders. She continued the hopeless efforts of trying to brush the tears from her face. “I _know_ … But…” Amy grit her teeth, taking in a sharp breath so her words would be clear. “I’m only _fifteen_ Knuckles!” She looked to him and saw his solemn expression. In an instant she dissolved into a heap of hysteric blubbers.

She’d leaned down to cry into her thighs, knowing she’d be _cursing_ herself later for getting her _pretty_ dress so blotchy with tears. It took a second before Amy felt a hand graze her shoulder, she shot up to meet Knuckles’ eyes, who was now on his knees, eye to eye with her.

She could do nothing but _gawk_ , sniffling. The reality of Knuckle’s exhaustion becoming all to clear with his proximity. Amy hadn’t noticed before, but his eyes were bloodshot.

Before she could find any words, Knuckles wrapped her in a tight, _comforting_ embrace. Amy was speechless, a hug from Knuckles was few and far between, and to receive one was considered (At least in their friend group) to be one of the _highest_ signs of trust from him.

Her arms fell limp at her sides, focusing on the slight shake in Knuckles’ hands that she hadn’t noticed before.

The tender hug did nothing to stop her from bursting further into hysterical tears, arms instinctively wrapping tightly around her much larger friend. She practically _dwarfed_ in comparison to him, and could barely reach her arms around his shoulders.

Knuckles’ held her tight as she sobbed into crook of his neck. She was thankful they were both spiked creatures, so they didn’t mind each other’s quills. Amy wondered if perhaps this was what it was like to have a _brother_.

Amy took a few _hardy_ gasps in an attempt to catch her breath, her lungs were failing her so the exhales stung her throat. “We should be enjoying _homecoming_ _dances_! And _Proms_!” Amy was muffled, her face hidden in Knuckles’ shoulder. She was also _completely_ aware of how whiny she sounded. “Failing, or _acing_ our classes!”

Amy croaked out a few more sobs. “Not doing _whatever_ this is! Aren’t I allowed to be a teen _at all?!_ ”

She pulled herself from the embrace to be face to face with her tall Guardian friend. He wouldn’t meet her eyes. “I’m too young to have seen this much _pain_ … And so are _you_.” His eyes trailed _further_ from her at that.

Amy often forgot that Knuckle’s was only three years older than her, well technically _two_ at the moment. He was only seventeen right now, but his birthday was _fast_ approaching and they’d soon return to being three years apart.

Knuckles had always had a more _mature_ attitude than most of them (Besides the hotheaded _outbursts_ he sometimes had.) Having been raised alone by a magic rock in the sky, and having to fend for himself, he didn’t really see the _value_ in Amy’s fantasies of sneaking out of school, or cheating on a test. _Still_ , Amy _yearned_ for him to one day let loose like the kid she knew he was.

_Although_ , with the number of times he’d been tricked by Robotnik, and _this_ whole mess, his trust issues made that day _far less_ likely to ever come.

Knuckles huffed, bringing Amy back into her _harsh_ reality. Finally he looked to her, his pretty purple eyes meeting her green ones. “You’re right, but we’ll continue on _anyway_.” Amy could tell he was having trouble with being comforting, but she appreciated his effort.

Amy shivered, crossing her arms and feeling her quills quiver on her back. She searched his eyes, trying to find any _seed_ of doubt. “I _know_ you’re right but…” Amy paused to bite her tongue, willing herself not to cry anymore.

“Aren’t you _tired_?” Amy already _knew_ the answer, but she asked anyway.

Her red friend, _bless his heart_ , quickly ran a hand over the guardian crest anointed across his pecks. He was silent as if trying to come up with a _lie_ , but the tell had already given away his answer. Eventually he seemed to concede with himself, unable to come up with a believable fib.

“Of _course_ I am…” Knuckles fiddled with the spikes on his hand that had given him his name.

Amy kept quiet, knowing he had more to say, but was figuring out exactly _how_ to say it. She was caught a little off guard when he sighed, changing from his kneeling position to sit next to her on the cot. She rose _considerably_ as his weight pushed her upwards. He continued to twiddled his thumbs, eyes glazing over and staring blankly at the wall opposite him.

“Amy, every _day_ , whenever I actually get the chance to _sleep_ , I wake up, _and I_ …” Amy watched him _forcibly_ swallow back a lump forming in his throat. “And I _wonder_ … How much longer can I _pretend_ to know what I’m doing _before_ …” He clasped his hands firmly together, and Amy saw how _clearly_ his hands we _shaking_ now.

She got up the courage to touch his shoulder, she could tell he had the urge to pull away, but didn’t. “ _Before what?_ ”

_Finally_ he looked to her. Amy felt a cold feeling wash over her, there was _death_ in his eyes. “Before I get _everyone_ _killed_.” The pink hedgehog swallowed hard. She’d never heard his voice so _hallow_. It was then that he shrugged her hand away, as if the touch was _acid_ to his skin.

Her lungs seized up, and she struggled to breath. Her mind scrambled to find some words of comfort for her friend. “ _Knuc_ -”

“I’m _scared_ Amy,” He brought his knees up to his chest, hugging himself tightly. “ _Terrified_ , terrified that I’m the _least_ qualified person to do this, and it’s getting people _killed_.” He _dug_ his fingers into his knees, Amy was a little concerned that he’d break skin.

“I mean… I can _barely_ protect the Master Emerald, how can I protect an entire _resistance_?” His voice was _despondent_ and breathy, and Amy could tell he was trying to make it sound _funny_ , which only made her chest tie itself in knots.

Amy was ready to _firmly_ deny _any_ of his doubts, but he kept talking. Amy wondered if he’d even _let_ _her_ comfort him if he gave her a chance to speak.

“I wake up, and I’m tempted to just _stay_ in my room, to try and pretend like the world isn’t absolute _hell_ right now.” He took in a long, tired breath, as if trying to relieve all the tension _wracking_ his body.

Then Knuckles looked to her, a _hint_ of a smile on his face. A smile that Amy was not expecting _at all_ , she was quite thrown. “But then I see _you_ … You, Silver, Espio, _Rouge_ , and everyone…” He eased his grip on his knees, and Amy had to hold back a sigh of _relief_ that he hadn’t drawn any blood.

“I see you all _keep_ _going_ , no matter how much we _lose_ ,” Another rogue brush over his crest, Amy was starting to notice just how _much_ he did that. “You all have this… This _undying_ _hope_ , hope that one day things will be _better_.”

He met her eyes. “Hope that one day you can be a _teenager_. Hope that one day we can return _home_ safely.”

Knuckles let out such a _tired_ laugh, it almost _broke_ Amy’s heart. “And despite my leadership skills being _shoddy_ at _best_ , you all _believe_ we can _win_. You _believe_ we can _truly_ do this.” He returned his gaze to his shaky hands, his smile a ghost on his face now. “ _So_ … So even though yes, I am _tired_ , tired and _scared_ … If you all still have _hope_ , then so do I.”

Amy was _speechless_. She’d never seen Knuckles be this vulnerable with _anyone_. Maybe with _Rouge_ , but their relationship was _complicated_. Normally, _making_ Knuckles admit he was upset at all was a struggle, but to hear him _fully_ _admit_ he was _scared_? It was almost _unheard_ of, _completely_ and _utterly_ out of his character.

If she wasn’t already hiccuping and sniffling, Amy would’ve had the air knocked out of her.

Finding some courage, Amy scooted a little closer, leaning her head on his shoulder. He seemed startled by the gesture, but didn’t object. She could tell he was trying to stifle his shivering because she was so close.

Amy took in a large breath, _praying_ she wouldn’t stutter as she spoke. “ _First of all_ … You’re a _really_ _good_ leader Knuckles. Like, _objectively_ , not just because I’m nice.”

Amy was _hoping_ Knuckles would laugh at that, but he didn’t. He did _however_ relax a little under her head, so she _assumed_ her words had a _little_ bit of effect.

_“_ _When Sonic was here…”_ She winced, feeling him tense again under the mention of his friend’s name. Nice _going_ Amy. Still, she pressed on. “… When Sonic was here, he made it all seem so…”

“ _Sure_?” Knuckles finished for her.

She nodded against his shoulder. “Yeah, when he was here… _We_ … I was always _sure_ we were going to win. He was so _optimistic_ , you couldn’t _help_ but I don’t know…”

Amy sniffed, ignoring the ice that soared through her veins as she spoke about her former hero. “He made all the danger _fun_ , if that makes sense? Like despite everything being _awful_ , you couldn’t help but be happy, fighting along side him…”

The words were _spilling_ from her mouth now, Amy wasn’t sure if Knuckles could even understand her. “When I was with him, even though I knew my _life_ was at stake, and people could be _hurt_ … I was still just a _kid_ , playing a game that I _knew_ we’d _win_.”

Knuckles simply grunted in reply.

Amy’s voice caught in her throat. She was getting a little frustrated with herself, she was not a _crybaby_! “Now he’s _gone_ and it’s so…” She crossed her arms, hoping it would sooth the shivers beginning to wrack her body, just as they did Knuckles. “It’s so _real_ Knuckles.”

Amy couldn’t help but _laugh_ , and she was pretty sure it startled Knuckles. “I guess you could say that… When he was here I was looking through _‘Rose-colored glasses.’_ ” She chuckled a bit more, letting the last of her tears trail down her face. When he didn’t respond, She tilted her head best she could to see his face. Suddenly she felt a _little_ sheepish.

“You don’t know what that means, do you?”

Even under his fur, Amy could see him flush. “No, sorry.”

She laughed a watery laugh. “No, it’s ok, I forgot that you don’t really know _Mobian_ expressions…” Amy ran her forearm over her nose, utterly _disgusted_ with the amount of snot running from her nose.

“It just means that I was _blind_ … And now that I’m _not_ , I don’t know if I like what I see…” Amy was at least thankful that for the _moment_ , it appeared she had no more tears to cry, and her body was too tired to force her to.

“But I know he’d want us to _keep_ _going_ … Never give up without a fight, and damn it all if we’re not gonna keep fighting. So I guess no matter how _I_ feel, we’ve _gotta_ do this.”

Knuckles hummed. “I suppose Sonic would say something _witty_ to make you feel better… I’m not very witty, sorry.” He seemed _far_ more at ease than earlier, which made Amy happy. She too felt a _lot_ better. She was still _tired_ … And honestly wanted a _nap_ , but her determination had been renewed.

Amy forced herself to sit up properly, her face turning serious. “It _wasn’t_ your fault you know, what happened.” Amy didn’t like how much he _winced_ at that.

He ran a hand through his unbalanced quills, shaking his head. “I’m… _Not_ _sure_ that’s true, but I guess it would be dangerous not to trust the word of my strategist.”

It was Amy’s turn to look uncomfortable, not sure she was entirely _proud_ of her title right now.

“It wasn’t your fault either, _okay_?” Knuckles added, the words were comforting, but his tone was _commanding_ , as if there was no room for debate. Amy wasn’t sure she _believed_ him, but she wasn’t going to ruin this moment with the endless blame-shifting she _knew_ would happen if she disagreed.

“I guess it’s true then, if the _commander_ said it.” Knuckles chuckled. They both knew how the other felt, it’s how they’d felt all along. Perhaps it _wasn’t_ their fault, maybe it _was_ , it didn’t really matter. They hardly had the time to argue about it.

Amy was expecting Knuckles to excuse himself then, being the _workaholic_ he was, he would probably try to drown himself in his work next. _Instead_ , he _stayed_ there for awhile, simply breathing in the quiet.

His hands were still shaking, but she was happy to see it was _hardly_ as intense.

Suddenly, he turned to her, eyes confused, and cheeks flushed. “Uh, by the way, what’s a ‘ _Prom_?’”

Amy’s mouth went _agape_ , completely forgetting her current woes to stare in shock. “Oh my _god_ , I _forgot_ ,” She stood, suddenly unable to sit still. She planted herself in front of him. “Do Echidnas not have _highschool_?!”

Apparently taken aback by her _passion_ for the subject, Knuckles leaned back a little. “Um… Well I _guess_ they did but I don’t think it was the _same_ …” He pointed a finger to himself, as if trying to defend his position. “But I didn’t _really_ … I mean I didn’t _really_ get the ‘ _average_ ’ school experience I think…”

Amy went silent, _overwhelmed_ by realization. “Oh my… how are you _alive_? _Who_ taught you anything!?”

He held up his hands. “I don’t _know_! I just _know_ _things_! _Probably_ the emerald, is that _not_ _normal_??”

The pink girl crossed her arms, secretly happy with this change in subject. “ _No_ Knuckles, I’m pretty sure _nothing_ about your upbringing was _normal_ ,” She took a step forward, placing her hands _firmly_ on Knuckles’ shoulders. Amy almost laughed at the tinge of fear she saw in his eyes.

“It’s just _wrong_ that you haven’t experienced the _joy_ and _drama_ of a prom! Granted _I_ haven’t _either_ … But at least I know _what_ it is!”

Knuckles’ expression turned sour, _annoyance_ ebbing on all his features. “Will you _stop_ _mocking_ me, and actually _tell_ me what it is!”

“Sorry _sorry_! A prom is a magical night that happens during high school!” She let go of him to clasp her hands together and gush. “You get to bring a _date_ , or not, and _dance_ the night away with your classmates, and slowly fall in _love_ as you _try_ not to step on each other’s toes!” Amy swooned, just picturing the event.

Her red friend raised a brow, _clearly_ not that impressed. “So it’s… _A coming of age ceremony?”_

Amy scoffed. “ _No_! Well I mean… There’s _some_ coming of age _happening_ but… But that’s not the _point_! It’s a _dance_! You just go to _dance_ and have _fun_ and fall in _love_!”

Knuckles ran a hand over his neck. “ _Okay_ … And it’s _different_ from a _‘homecoming dance?’_ ” He winced back a little, as if worried Amy would blow up in his face.

She _might_ actually. She shook her head vigorously, appalled at the very question. “Of _course_ it is! Homecoming comes after _football_!”

“… And Prom, _doesn’t_?”

Amy squinted at him, trying to find out if he was just _playing_ with her. “ _Obviously_ not!”

Knuckles didn’t seem very amused. “ _So_ … Other than _that_ … It’s the _same_?”

The girl rubbed her temples. “No, _no_! I _mean_ … _No_ , Prom is more _formal_.” Knuckles didn’t seem entirely convinced, so Amy sighed. “And more _expensive_ … And more people bring _dates_ to Prom!”

Amy slumped, Knuckles giving her a _pitying_ look, she was defeated. “ _Okay_ … So they’re _kinda_ similar, but they have different _purposes_ , okay!?”

Knuckles chuckled, shaking his head and crossing his arms. “I believe you… I _think_. There’s lot’s of weird _Echidna_ events, most of them involve dancing, so I guess it’s not _that_ weird.”

Amy’s ears twitched. “ _Really_? Do you know any Echidna dances? Could you _show_ me? _Please_?”

And with _that_ Knuckles got up, hastily making his way to the door to her room. “ _Nope_ , I have work to do.”

Amy quickly grabbed her earpiece and began following him. She could beg for _hours_ , and she knew Knuckles was fleeing from her for _that_ reason.

Her heart was still _aching_ , and the _shake_ hadn’t left Knuckle’s hands, perhaps it _never_ would, but the hope of better times was all it took for Amy to continue fighting.

To continue fighting for the many teenage experiences she, and many others, deserved. To fight so the innocent could live without fear again.

And she’d _die_ for that cause.


End file.
